Hitching device



.No Model.) 2 sheets-'sheet 1 O. W. vORELL. HITGHING DEVICE.'

No. 543,888l Patented Aug. 6, 1895.

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(N Model.) 2v Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. W. RELL.

HITGHING DEVICE.

Patented Aug. 6, 1895.

WIM'SSEQ' f m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLOF WM. ORELL, OF ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA.

I-HTCHINGDevice.V

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Eaters No. 543,889, dated August e, 1895.

Application filed April 9, 1894. Serial No. 506|355 (N0 11101161.`

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, OLOB` XVM. ORELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis Park, in the lcounty of Hennepin and State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hitching Devices; and l do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in hitching devices of the class used by drivers for preventing the horses orteams from moving or running away while the drivers occa sionally have to leave the vehicles, as is especially the case with milk-Wagons, express, and delivery wagons in general. There exist at present in most cities and towns laws or regulations stipulating a penalty for leaving horses on the street without tying or hitching them. The owners of teams have accordingly provided themselves with a weight and a strap attached to it for tying the horse or team at any place they stop. Such weighted strap has been modied. in various ways with a View to reducing the drivers trouble in applying it; but as far as I am aware all of the bitching devices heretofore used are dependent on the drivers memory as well as diligence,

willingness, or honesty to use them, and as but few drivers are fully gifted with all of these good qualities the results are such that hitching devices are very often of no service and run-away accidents still occur about as frequently as ever, with their destructive results to life, limb, and property. Therefore, the object of my invention is to provide a hitching device that will automatically hitch and unhitch the horse every time the driver leaves or enters the wagon, regardless of the drivers memory or diligence, so that the driver cannot possibly leave the wagon and the horse unhitched except by his full intention and by taking trouble to avoid hitching the horse. l attain this object bythe novel construction and combination of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure lis a front end View of a portion of inverted plan view of a portion of a wagon-`- bottom with my bitching device secured toit the same as-in Fig. 1, only that the hitchingweight, the spring 7 and the disk 47 are'not shown. Fig. 3 is a sectional s ide view taken substantially as on the line a ain Figs. l and 2 and looking in the direction of the arrow b in Fig. 1, (wagon-bottom and step left'out.) Fig. tisasectionalside view as on thelineccin Fig. 3, looking from left to right. Fig. 5 is a top plan View of the central parts of the device with the bed-plate of the device and the wagon-bottom removed. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the toothed wheel or cam in Fig. 5 and the shaft secured in it. Fig. 7 is the top end l of an externally spiral grooved cylinder in which the shaft in Fig. 6 is to revolve with the wheel resting on the top of the cylinder. Figs. 8 and 9 are further detail views. Fig. l0 is a modification of the connection of the carriage or wagon step with the bitching device. Fig. 11 is a sectional view on the line d d in Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings by reference-numerals, 1 designates the portion of the bottom of a truck, wagon, or carriage to which my device is secured.

2 is the step on which the driver places his foot in mounting or dismounting from hisseat on the wagon. The step 2 is secured at the outer end of the arm 3 of a bell-crank lever 3 4, which at the junction of its arms is fulcrumed at 105 in a bracket 5, secured at 6 up under the bottom of lthe wagon.

7 is aspring secured at 8 to the wagon-bottom 1, and with its outer end 9 pressing downward upon the arm 4 of the bell-crank lever tends at all times to hold the step'2 in an elevated position.

10 is a metallic frame-plate secured up under the wagon-box by the screws 1l 1l and provided with two ldownwardly-projecting parallel ribs 12,bet\veen which slides a plate- IOO - is then dropped into the cylinder or casing` andthe said bridge. This bridge-plate 18 has a centrally depending (in the upper end open) cylindrical case 20 (best shown in Fig. 9) with two oppositely located longitudinal slots 21 and upon the inner side of its bottom 22 a round stein 23 with a conical hollow 24 in the top. (Best shown in Fig. 11).

25 is a round metallic bar or spindle with two oppositely-located slanty threads or spiral grooves 26, ot' which the lower ends 27 run straightandlongitudinalwiththespindle. In thetop end view, Fig. 7, it will be seen that this spirally-grooved spindle 25 is provided with two notches 28 and with an axial hole 29 eX- tending all the way through it. The camshaped cog-wheel 30 (best shown in Figs. 5 and 6) is rigidly secured upon the shaft 31,and is provided with the cogs 32 upon its widest side or segment, and at the opposite edge I pivot. to it at 33, a pawl or dog 34, which is held in a downwardly-slanting direction by the spring 35, secured at 36 to the wheel.

The partsthus described, and shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7, 9, and l1, arein Figs. 5 and 11 put together by dropping the shaft 31 down into the hole 29 till the wheel 30 rests on the top ot the spindle 25,with the spring-held dog 35 engaging one of the notches 28. The spindle 20 so that the lower end of the hole 29 guides on the pin -or stud 23 and the pointed end 37 ol the shaft 31 rests and turns in the central conical hollow 24 in said stud,and the top end of the shaft is journaled at 49 in the frame-plate. The ilange or bridge-plate 18 is then secured by the screws 19 to the bedplate 10 with the yoke 13 engaging the wheel 30 in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 5, so that when the spindle 25 oscillates back and forth half a turn the notches 2S, engaging alternately the dog 34, cause the wheel 30 to make half a turn at a time, and between each move stand still until the spindle has moved back so as to engage with its next notch 2S the pawl 34 ot' the wheel 30 and is again oscillated forward with its new hold ot' the pawl, thus moving the yoke, as in Fig. 5, to the right by engaging the rack-bar 15, and when the cogs of the wheel release the rack 15'they engage the rack-bar 16 and slide the yoke to the left, and so on the cogs 32 of the wheel 30 engage alternately the two rack-,bars and cause the yoke-plate 13 to make a full stroke endwise in both directions for each time the spiral spindle is given half a turn toward the point of the pawl 34, and when the spindle returns to take a new hold the spring-held pawl springs out of one and drops into the other of the notches 28 while the wheel 30 and the yoke stand still. The oscillating motion ofthe spindle 25 is caused by the ring 39, having,r the internal guiding-ribs 40, slidiugly fitted in the slots 21 of the casing 20, and the internal studs 41, provided with antifriction-rollers 42, (shown in section in Fig. 8,) engaging the spiral grooves 26 of the spindle.

43 are studs or trunnions provided upon the outer sides of the ring 39, and engage slots or notches, as 44, in the arms 45 of the fork 46, which is an extension of the leverarm 4, so that when the driver steps on the treadle 2 the ring 39 is moved upward till it stops against the bridge-plate 18, and when the step 2 is released the spring 7 causes the arm 4 and ring 39 to move vdownward until the ring stops against the disk 47, which for that purpose is secured by a screw 48 to the bottom 22 of the casing 20.

The frame-plate 10 is further provided with two rigid lugs 50, between which is fnlcrn med at 76 a lever 51, presently to be more fully described, and a rigid semicylindrical spring house 52, ot' which the edges of the walls are notched or cutaway at 53 to give room for the yoke-shaped lever 54 to swing, which lever is formed with the large central opening 55, the two slots 56 engaging the antifriction-rollers 57 on the studs 106, secured in the sliding yoke 13, the locking-notches 58, a hub 59, and sleeve GO, (shown in section in Fig. 3,) filling between the bed-plate 10 and a round disk 6l located close against the inner side of and having a round hub 62 projecting through a central aperture 63 in the bottom 64 of the spring-house 52.

65 is a bolt passed through the frame-plate 10, the hub 59, sleeve 60, and disk 6l, so that the sleeve swings or rocks on it and the disk and disk-hub turn on it.

66 is a twisting coil-spring placed upon the sleeve 60 and having one end engaging the lever 54 at 67 and its other end engaging a hole 68 in the disk 61. It tends at all times to throw the lever 54 in the direction of the arrow e. The disk 61, as best shown in Fig. 2, is provided with a circular row of holes 69, registering with the hole 70 in the bottom 64 of the spring-house. The outer end 71 of the disk hub 62 is made four-cornered, so that a wrench may be put on it, the disk turned to give the proper tension to the spring 66, and then lock the disk by inserting a pin, as 72, into the hole 70 and one of the holes 69. The lever 51, pivoted between the lugs 50, is by the spring 74 secured at 75 to one of the ribs 12 of the frame-plate, and having its free end acting outward against the said dogarm 5l, normally held outward, so as to either engage one of the notches 58 in the lever 54 or against the inner edge 77 of the lever between the said notches. Below the fulcrum 76 the lever 51 has pivoted to itat 78 adog 30, which swings at right angles with the motion of the fulcrum-joint 76 and can bend only in one direction-namely, against the resistance of the spring 79, which is secured at 81 to the lever l-and presses with its lower end 82 against the side of the dog 80, so that the latter is normally kept substantially in a straight line with the lower arm of the lever 51 and with the stopping-lips 83 held against each other. The lower end of the dog 8O is provided with a hook or tooth 84, having the inclined planes or faces 85 and 86.

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87 is a lug or projection provided upon one of the arms 45 of the fork 46. It is formed with two inclined faces or planes 88 and 89, adapted to press, respectively, against the inclined planes and 86 of the dog-tooth 84, when the fork 45 passes up and down by the said tooth.

The lever 54 is provided with an arm 90 to which is pivotally secured at 91 a sheavehood 92, housing a revoluble sheave pulley or roller 93.

94 is a hollow bracket or hood secured up under the bottom of the wagon and carrying a revoluble pulley 95 and a rigid pin 96.

97 is a belt, wire-rope, chain, or other suitable cord, secured-with one end tothe pin 96, passed over the pulley 93 in the hood 92, then over the pulley 95, and having its free end 99 secured to the weight 98, which is the hitching-weight, and therefore has secured to it the rear end of the bitching-strap 100, of which the opposite end (not shown) is attached to the bridle or reins of the horse.

In the modification, Fig. 10, is shown how the fork 46, lever-arm 4, and bracket 101 may be located at any suitable place or part of the wagon, while the step or treadle 2, arm 3, and

bracket 102 may be secured to such other part of the wagon asmay be mosteonvenient for the driver to leave and enter the wagon from. The lever-arms 3 and 4 are in such cases secured upon the ends of a rockshaft, as 103, which may be of any desired length, between the bracketslOl and 102.

In Fig. 1 is shown in dotted lines a secondary lever-arm 104, engaging with its inner and forked end the notches 44 in the fork-I arms 45. This lever-arm 104 is-extended in opposite direction to the lever-arm 4, and in like manner with the latter provided with a bracket, as 5, step-arm, as 3, and step 2, so that if the driver should find it convenient to step down alternately from both sides of the wagon the fork 46 will be operated either by the lever-arm 4 or the lever-arm 104.

In order to facilitate the explanationand understanding of the operation of the device we will take an approximately-correct example and say that the weight 98 weighs thirty pounds and is to be lifted eighteen inches from the ground, while the minimum weight of the driver is ninety pounds and the motion up or down of the step 2 is limited to three inches. The rope or lifting belt 97, being doubled by passing over the sheave 93, will then reduce the eighteen-inch motion of the weight to a nine-inch motion of the hood 92 and outer end of the lever-arm 90. (All friction is in this illustration set out of consideration, owing to the facts that no driver weighs only ninety pounds and the weight need not be thirty pounds, nor need it be lifted eighteen inches.) The drivers weight, ninety pounds, moving three inches downward, it will be observed, is only equal to a weight of fifteen pounds raised eighteen inches. Hence the spring 66 must be given a tension sufficient to lift half the weight by pressing the lever 54, with its arm 90, in the direction of the arrow e, as described. When the driver steps down from the wagon, his weight, coming on the step or treadle 2, will wind the ,spring 66 up again,while the bitching-weight goes down by its own gravity. The winding of the spring continues some time after the weight has reached the ground, in order to leave a few inches of slack in the rope or belt 97, so that the horse may have a chance to stretch the hitching-strap before moving far enough to cause the'cord 97 to drag the weight. When the driver steps on the treadle or step 2 the next time, he releases the lever 54 from the lockinglever 51, and the spring 66 at once takes up the slack in the cord 97 and then further assists the driver in lifting about half the gravity of the weight and swinging the lever 54 until the lever end 73, riding on the inner edge 77 of the lever 54, drops into the other notch 58 and locks the lever in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with the weight suspended. As already partly explained, the ring 39 is forced upward every time the driver steps on the treadle 2 and returned downward to the stopping-plate 47 by the spring 7, and every time the ring 39 passes upward its internal studs 41, having the antifriction-rollers 42,

lcause the spirally-grooved spindle 25 to make half `a turn and thus impart a motion of half a turn to the cam-wheel 30, which causes the yoke 13 to move endwise and, by its studs 58 and antifriction-rollers thereon, act in the slots 56, and throw the lever 54 and arm 90 into one of its two positions, (the one of which is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.) The next operation or step on the treadle works in eX- actly the same manner, throwing the lever 54 into the other position. The different motion of the lever is simply caused by thev engagement of the cam-gear 30 with a different side in the toothed yoke 13. Every time the ring 39 passes downward it revolves the spindle 25 backward to allow the next notch 28 to get hold of the pawl 34. When the ring 39 commences to move upward, its inner studs 41 move in the straight portions 27 of the grooves 26, so as not to turn the spindle 25 until the ineline 88 of the projection 87 has acted against the incline 85 of the dog 80`and thereby caused the end 73 of the lever 51 to swing inward from the notch 58, thus setting the lever 54 freeto move, and said motion begins before the iuclines quite pass each other, so that when they have passed each other the lever end 73 cannot. drop back into the notch 58, but will strike the edge 77, on which it is slidingly kept back until received by the next notch 58. When the ring 39 passes downward, the incline 89 of the lug or projection 87 of the fork acts against the side incline 86 of the dog 80, so as to bend the joint 78 and push the tooth of the dog 80 out of the road and pass it without disturbing the locking position of the lever end 73.

in the notch 58 in the lever 54.

From the above description it will be seen ICO IIO

that I provide a bitching device which will tie and untie the horse by the drivers stepping on a treadle or step for getting upon or down from his seat on the wagon, and that in order to reduce as much as possible the motion of the treadle or step the mechanism is so constructed that the lifting of the hitching-weight is by means of a reacting spring .divided upon the two motions given to the treadle in stepping twice on it in order to get down from and back upon the wagon.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat-- 1. In a bitching device adapted to be secured to the bottom of a vehicle, the combination of the frame plate 10, having the ribs 12, the sliding yoke 13, having the internally toothed rack bars l5, and the studs 10G, the segmentally toothed gear 80, adapted to engage alternately the said racks and having the springheld pawl 34, and the shaft 3l, the

' oscillating externally spiral-grooved spindle 25, having the central hole 29, for receiving the shaft 31, and the two notches 2S, by which to engage the pawl 34, and rotate the gear; the bridge or retaining plate 1S, secured to the ribs 12, and having the central pocket or casing 20, with the side slots 21, and bottom stem 23, with the central cavity 24, forming journals respectively for the lower end o'f the spindle 25, and the shaft 31, the latter having its upper end journaled in the frame plate as at 49; a swinging yokeshaped lever as 54, pivoted with one end to the frame plate and having its free or swinging end 90, provided with a hood as 92, carrying a sheave as 93, the bracket 94, having the sheave 95, and pin 96, the bitching weight 98, having attached to it the hitching strap 100, and the cord or strap 97, passing over the pulleys or sheaves 95, 93, and having its upper end secured to the pin or bolt 9G; said lever 54, having the slots 56, embracing the studs 10G, of the yoke 13, so as to receive motion from them; the ring 39, having the guiding ribs 40, the internal studs 41, adapted to engage the spiral grooves of the spindle 25, and the external studs or trunnions 43, the fork 46, having the notches 44, in its arms, fitting upon said trunnions; the bracket 5, and bell crank lever 3, 4, pivoted therein and having secured to one of its arms the fork 4G, and to its other arm a step plate as 2, for the driver to step on in entering and leaving the vehicle, a spring for holding said step plate normally elevated and means for automatically locking the lever 54, both when the weight is down and when it is up, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a bitching device of the class described, and secured to a vehicle, the combination of a treadle or pivoted step adapted to be depressed by stepping on it and to be normally spring-held in an elevated position, a swinging arm rigidly connected with said step and havinga fork-shaped end carrying an operating ring as 39, having internal studs, as 41,provided with anti-friction rollers as 42, an oscillating spiral grooved spindle having its spiral grooves engaging the said antitriction rollers, and having notches by which it engages a pawl pivoted to a cam gear wheel, a toothed yoke operated by the teeth of said gear and having studs as 106, with anti-fric tion rollers as 57, a swinging lever as 54, pivoted at one end and having slots embracing the rollers 57, an arm as 90, provided with a pivoted sheave hood or block having asheave as 93, engaging a loop of a cord,rope,or chain as 97, having one ot its ends secured to a bracket bolted to the bottom of the vehicle and its other end passed over a sheave or guide pulley in the said bracket and secured to the weight ot the bitching strap, the said lever 54, having locking notches as 58; the locking lever 51, pivoted in a bracket projecting from the frame of the device and having its upper end as 73, engaging alternately the two notches 5S, and the lower end actuated loy a projection as S7, formed upon the fork operating the spiral grooved spindle, so as to unlock the lever 54, every time it is to be moved, the spring 75, for throwing the lever end. 73, back into the notches 5S, the guiding edge 77, for holding the lever in readiness to enter the said notches 58, said lever 51, having its lower portion provided with a spring`- held knee joint and a tooth or projection as 84, having two inelines as 85, 86, said projection 87, of the fork 46, being also provided with two inelines as 88, and 89, of which the incline 88, acts on the incline 85, of the lever portion or dog 80, so as to unlock the upper end 73, of the lever and the incline 89, acts against the incline S6, so as to bend the knee joint ofthe lever and let the fork pass upward without unlocking the levers 51, and 54, said lever 54, being provided with a spring having adjustable tension and being ot a power sufficient to sustain about half of the gravity of the bitching weight, all arranged upon and secured to a suitable frame work, substantially as shown and described and for the purpose set forth.

3. A bitching device adapted to be secured to a vehicle, and having a pivoted swinging step for the driver to step on in entering and leaving the vehicle, a swinginglever operated by said step, said lever being pivoted at one end and having to its swinging end secured a sheave or pulley, over which passes a loop ot' a rope, belt or chain, having one of its ends secured to the vehicle and its other end secured to the bitching weight, after being passed over a pulley secured to the vehicle; so that the motion of the weight is twice that of the end ot' the swinging lever, and means for locking the lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A bitching device adapted to be secured to a vehicle and having a pivoted swinging step adapted to be operated by the drivers foot in entering and leaving the vehicle, a

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swinging. lever operated by said step, and whiehis pivoted at one end and by its swinging end raises and lowers the hitehing weight, and a spring assisting in operating the lever so as to lift the weight, said spring being so arranged that it is Wound up or given tension bythe desoension ofthe driver and the weight, and nnwound or expanded when the driver uses the step forA entering the vehicle and raising the weight,subsiantia1ly as and for ro the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OLOF WM. ORELL. Witnesses:

CARL LARssoN, HAROLD HARRIS. 

